Pectin freed from protein and starch



Patented Sept. 2, T924.

UNITED STATES? STUART L. CRAWFORD, OF ROCHESTER, YORK.

PECTIN FREED FROM PROTEIN AND STARCH.

' No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STUART L. CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pectin Freed from Protein and Starch, of which the following is a specification.

Pectin is a vegetable food product, which combined with sugar, organic acid and Water, in suitable proportions, makes jelly. Pectin exists in abundant quantities in apples, the rind of oranges, and other fruit and vegetable products. Pectin can be extracted from such sources and combined with the juices or flavors of other fruits to make jelly, using the flavors of fruits that ordinarily will not make jelly. In this way, jellies can be made from such fruits- Pectin extracted from apples frequently contains protein and starch, the flavor of the apples and vegetables coloring matter, the presence of all of which is objectionable.

The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved form or quality of pectin which has been made light in color and free from apple flavor and vegetable coloring matter, and which has been clarified by treatment of its nitrogenous compounds, such as proteids, by means of a proteolytic enzym, such as pepsin, which changes the form of the proteids. I believe that part of these proteids are rendered soluble and stay in solution and part of the soluble proteids combine with a part of the' natural tannin of the fruit that is present in the pectin liquid or syrup and the two then precipitate, thereby removing both proteids and tannin and securing the more complete clarification of the pectin syrup and making it lighter in color.

I have found that the more the pectin is freed from proteids and tannin, the clearer it will be, the clearer it will keep and the less apt it is to become cloudy on long standing.

The pectin may also be treated to increase the clarification with a'diastatic enzym to secure the conversion of any starch that may be present into soluble carbohydrates, which carbohydrates will then dissolve and go into solution.

For the purpose of extracting pectin, I preferably use the pomace of apples, which pomace is produced at the cider mill'by grinding the apples and pressing the cider into soluble carbohydrate, so the addition of a small percentage of amo- Application filed October 20, 1920. Serial No. 418,318.

or juice therefrom, the pomace being left as a solid or pulp after the juice has been expressed. This pomace is then preferably dried. This drying preserves the pomace so that it can be stored and used at any time during the year in the manufacture of pectin syrup therefrom so that the pectin syrup can be made from it the year around.

The drying of the pomace also hardens the cells which has a beneficial efiect which will presently be described.

In the process of extracting the pectin syrup from the dried pomace, T first immerse the dried pomace in water and bring it quickly to a boil. This dissolves out from the pomace any natural sugar that may still remain therein after the removal of the cider. It also dissolves practically all of the apple flavor and the vegetable coloring matter without dissolving the pectin so that the remaining pomace and the pectin that is yet to be extracted therefrom will be practically free from the apple flavor. The water is then drained off or filtered therefrom.

Owing to the hardening of the cells of the pomac by the drying, the pectin will not dissolve in the first boiling and is, therefore, not lost when the liquid is drained off from the pomace after the first Miling.

The pomace is then again mixed with fresh water in suitable quantity together with a fruit acid or some other organic acid, such as lactic acid, etc. The mixture is then boiled for about an hour or more and the liquid is then drained ofl" and separated from the apple pulp or pomace and cooled to below" 100 F. This liquid contains the pectin in solution and contains proteids, tannin and starch in solution or suspension.

I then add to the liquid a small percentage of proteolytic enzym, such as pepsin, which converts any proteins that may be present into soluble, nitrogeneous compounds, such as pep'tones and amides. Some of these nitrogenous compounds then combine with the tannin that is naturally present in fruit and in the pectin extracted therefrom and the combination so formed precipitates. In this Way, greater or less part of the proteids and the tannin is precipitated so that it may be separated from the liquid by filtration.

If starch is present, this may be converted c as sugar, by

The sugar so lytic enzym such as diastase.

treatment of made, goes into solution. The

the liquid with the pepsin and the diastase jellies and jams, suchas pineapple or peach may be carried on all in one operation. jelly, or pear jam. etc.

After the conversion of the proteids and I claim: the starch is complete as above described, the 1. The process of producing'a pectous comsolution is then filtered and the precipitates pound consisting of treating a vegetable maare removed thereby. The resulting pectin terial to remove the natural sugar therefrom, syrup secured in this way islighter in color, treating the remaining pulp with a solvent free from the apple flavor and practically to extract the pectous substances, treating free from proteids and tannin or the amount the pectous liquor to convert any proteid 10 thereof is greatly reduced and the starch is therein into soluble forms such as peptones practically eliminated. The pectin syrup is and amides and subsequently concentrating clearer, has less fluorescence, makes a much the liquor thus obtained. better appearance and has better keeping 2. The process of treating'vegetable maqualities, and its appearance does not deterial consisting in first drying it, then im- 15 teriorate on long standing. mersing it in Water and bringing it to a With the removal of the apple flavor, the boil to dissolve the flavor, natural sugar and pectin syrup is neutral in flavor and when coloring matter, then draining the water the pectin syrupis used in connection with therefrom and covering with fresh water fruit juices of delicate flavor, such as raspand digesting the remaining pulp in the 90 berry, strawberry, etc., the apple flavor havpresence of a solventfor the pectous subing been removed, does not cover up or hide stances and removing the protein from the the flavor of the fruit. The light color of pectous liquid so obtained. the pectin syrup makes it more desirable for In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature. its use in the manufaoture of light colored STUART L. CRAWFORD. 

